Second suspicious fire in Troy in less than two weeks, police investigate possible link

VIDEO: A suspicious fire in Troy Sunday morning is the city’s second in less than 10 days. The city’s police and fire departments responded to a home on 2nd Street around 4:15 a. for a reported structure fire. Residents of the building used a bucket of water to extinguish the fire prior to police officers and firefighters arriving, according to Troy Assistant Police Chief Steven Barker. The Troy Fire Department concluded the fire is suspicious. No injuries were reported and damage to the building is minimal, Barker said. It’s the second suspicious fire being investigated in south Troy. On April 19th, a house on Tyler Street was intentionally set on fire. “An aspect of both investigations (this morning’s and that from 4/19) will be to determine any similarities or possible connection,” wrote Barker in an email to CBS 6.
WRGB-TV CBS 6 Schenectady

Fundraiser held to benefit Islip Terrace EMT on life support

VIDEO: A fundraiser was held Saturday for an EMT from East Islip who is now fighting for her life. The Islip Terrace Fire Department hosted a pasta night fundraiser for Heather McNamara. She was diagnosed with cancer when she was just 3-years-old. Five years later, she made national headlines when she became the first child to undergo a high-risk operation to remove a tumor. But McNamara, who is now 22, is suffering from organ failure and is now on life support. The community came out to support her in a big way. "She is very ill and has been hospitalized since Dec. 26, and the community has come together, along with the Islip Terrace Fire Department and the Exchange Ambulance to put together this fundraiser for her and her family. Her family has been at the hospital with her the last few months and we are here to support them," said Islip Terrace Fire Department Chief Peter Peluso.
News 12 Long Island

Police investigate ‘suspicious’ body found burning in Brooklyn boat

An early morning fire led New York City officials to the discovery of a body found burning inside a boat. Firefighters say they received a call about a dumpster fire in Brooklyn, inside a parking lot on Conover Street between Beard and Reed streets in Red Hook. The call came in just before 5 a.m. When they arrived on the scene, officials found a boat still on its trailer on fire. The fire was quickly extinguished by the fire crews, leading to the discovery of a body inside the vessel. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. A law enforcement source called the death "suspicious." There's no word yet on that person's identity. An investigation is ongoing.
WNBC-TV NBC 4 New York

’It melted my heart the second I saw her’: Buffalo firefighters rescue and adopt puppy hit by car

VIDEO: After a “ruff” start, one puppy has found her forever home with Buffalo’s bravest. “I never thought she’d fall right in my lap. She’s perfect for me,” said Buffalo firefighter Anthony Pulvino of Engine 19. On April 5, two high school students saw the puppy get hit by a car near Forest Avenue and Grant Street. The students picked her up and brought her to Engine 19 for help. “They were on roller skates and they said we just saw a dog get hit by a car, what can you do? We’re trained to deal with human patients. Every once in a while something like this happens,” said Buffalo firefighter Trevor Dugan, who was at the fire hall that day. “I’m not even a dog person really but it melted my heart the second I saw her. She was just that cute,” Dugan said. The puppy was in bad shape and had an injury on her back leg. The firefighters put their training to use.
WIVB-TV CBS 4 Buffalo

Halfmoon-Waterford Fire Department in Saratoga County talks new safety equipment

A local fire department has received upgraded safety equipment. The Halfmoon-Waterford Fire Department was awarded around $300,000 in federal funding to buy new self-contained breathing apparatuses, also known as air packs. The new equipment has an alarm that makes it easier for firefighters to find someone who may have been hurt while responding to an emergency. They also have new masks, which are easier to see through. Asst. Fire Chief Chris Putnam said the new equipment has both physical and mental benefits for firefighters. “Being able to be confident that the pack that you’ve got on your back, that it’s giving you the air that you’re breathing when you’re going into that building, to know that that’s reliable, that you’re as safe as you can be while you’re doing your job is really important,” he said.
WHEC-TV NBC 10 Rochester

Two kayakers rescued on Yellow Lake near Gouverneur

Members of the Gouverneur Fire Department rescued two kayakers on Yellow Lake Wednesday afternoon. Volunteers were called to the lake at 3:22 p.m. for a report that two people on the shore had been exposed to cold water after a “kayaking incident.” Three firefighters and two emergency medical service providers traveled by boat to rescue the pair. The people were taken by ambulance to Gouverneur Hospital for treatment of possible hypothermia, officials said. Fire crews said they recovered one kayak and that a second one sank. “We would like to remind everyone that you should have a life jacket on while enjoying time on the water. The water temps are very cold in the spring and will cause hypothermia,” the fire department said on its Facebook page.
WWNY-TV CBS 7 Carthage

Prep school in Brooklyn honors fallen FDNY firefighter Steven Pollard with memorial scholarship

A Sheepshead Bay high school is honoring the legacy of a graduate who died in the line of duty with a new scholarship for students dedicated to service. Earlier this month, St. Edmund Preparatory High School announced the launch of the inaugural Steven H. Pollard ’06 Memorial Scholarship. Offered in partnership with the Steven H. Pollard Foundation, the award will go to two junior students each year — one male and one female — who administrators said will be selected on the basis of good character, demonstrated community service, academic effort, and financial need. The half-tuition scholarship will be given in memory of Pollard, a firefighter and graduate of St. Edmund’s Class of 2006. Pollard served as a member of Ladder Company 170 in Canarsie and was just 30 years old when he died responding to a motor vehicle accident on the Mill Basin Bridge on Jan. 6, 2019.
Brooklyn Paper

FDNY participates in National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day

FDNY employees took part in National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day on Thursday, April 25, at FDNY Headquarters. The young visitors were treated to fire and life safety lessons, a tour of department apparatus and interacted with department members, including firefighters and EMS personnel. "It was a wonderful day meeting with the children of staff at Headquarters," Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said. "Educating children on fire and life safety is important, and it's always special when we get to show them what their parents do every day to keep us safe." The national day takes place annually on the fourth Thursday in April and encourages parents to bring their children to work for the day.
City of New York Fire Department